Michael's book list

Beginning NetBeans IDE

(2016-01-09)

When talking about development platforms for Java, then usually the big three are called: Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA and NetBeans (in alphabetical order). A new NetBeans major version is usually released with a new release of Java. There are other versions, mostly in semi-annual to annual distance, as well as if necessary patches. Just NetBeans 8.1 has done. Although Geertjan Wielenga largely writes independent of a specific version, it's this version that provides the basis for the numerous illustrations.

NetBeans is more than a Java development environment. So for example, various developers use a Java server together with a JavaScript front end. NetBeans also supports this scenario and much more. Nevertheless, the author focuses on NetBeans as a Java development environment and indicates the just mentioned abilities only a short time in a practical example.

The "Beginning" in the title may imply that the author has written a book that serves as a solid tool for those programmers who go into use with NetBeans. NetBeans as a platform software remains on the sidelines accordingly. And so the author focuses on those features that are essential for Java development. Here naturally the Java editor is at the center. Even if only one of the chapters mentioned this name, the developer uses the editor for code analysis and refactoring, too.Overall, several chapters deal with the possibilities of the editor.

There are two kinds of developers: those who hunt the mouse, and those who prefer to work on the keyboard. The author belongs to the last group. And since this is usually the most productive way to operate a computer, the author shows very clearly how the frequent switchover from keyboard to mouse and vice versa can be avoided. Long-established NetBeans users may find new some ideas here, too. But productivity not only increases by avoiding such switchovers, but also the possibility to generate code. Here NetBeans offers a lot, for example Code Wizards, auto completion, code templates, macros, and more. All this shows the author in detail and with numerous illustrations.

Refactoring, integrated test frameworks, debuggers, profilers, and the integration of various version control systems are further topics for the Java developer, which the author devotes a separate chapter to each. Sometime he does not only explain the features, but the background too. What is, for example Refactoring good for, wherefore profiling? He writes about the background briefly, because he focuses on the tool. Doing such, he dives into a lot of details. When discussing refactoring that leads to the point where he summarizes the refactoring suggestions in a table. Since these are mostly self-explanatory, the author can provide at this point only little additional information. And so this one table spans over several pages. Here reduction to the few messages where Geertjan provides real additional value would have been better.

Overall, he created a book that brings the reader close to the use of the development environment with its essential functions step by step. In addition to the figures he provides many tables the text. Geertjan's book is not only a textbook, but rather a solid tutorial. To those Java developers who didn't exhaust and especial to those who are new to NetBeans, the author wrote a great book..